This pretty cupcake arrangement is perfect for Mother’s Day or any beautiful May day!

24 mini cupcakes

Purple frosting

Pink frosting

Yellow frosting

Green frosting

Green licorice

1 tube black gel frosting

White conversation hearts

Black licorice

Mini chocolate chips (optional)

Place each color of frosting in a decorating bag wtih a round tip of a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Starting in the center of each cupcake, pipe frosting onto the cupcake in round spirals. Frost 5 cupcakes purple, 10 pink, and 5 yellow. Pipe green frosting in oval spirals on the remaining 4 cupcakes.

On a serving platter, arrange the cupcakes into 3 flowers, using 5 cupcakes for the petals and 1 yellow cupcake for each center. Place a piece of green licorice at the bottom of each flower for the stem. Place the green cupcakes against the stems for leaves.

To make the bumblebees, pipe a line of black gel frosting across the bottom of each of the 2 remaining yellow cupcakes. Pipe 2 lines of black gel frosting across the centers. Pipe a circle at the top for the heads. Place 2 white conversation hearts on each side for the wings. Cut small strips of black licorice for the stingers and antennae. Stick a stinger into the frosting at the bottom of each cupcake. Stick two antennae into the frosting head. Place the bumblebees above the flowers.

If desired, create “flight paths” by carefully placing mini chocolate chips into curvy lines from the flowers to the bumblebees.

]]>https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/may-flowers/feed/0lisatandersonPg_31Carrot Patch Cakehttps://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/22/carrot-patch-cake/
https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/22/carrot-patch-cake/#respondFri, 22 Apr 2011 15:25:23 +0000http://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/?p=278]]>Just in time for Easter, here’s a recipe for an adorable carrot cake. I created it to look like a raised vegetable garden with gumdrop carrot tops poking above the dirt. I hope you have as much fun making it as you do eating it!

Place the graham sticks horizontally to cover each side of the cake. Use 12 graham sticks for each long side and 6 graham sticks for each short side. Place the remaining 4 graham sticks vertically on the corners of the cake.

In a food processor, process the fudge sandwich cookies until you get fine crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the cake.

Using sharp kitchen shears, cut off the tops of the gumdrops to expose the sticky inside. Cut the green sour straws into 15 short pieces (about, oh, 3/4 inch), and then make 4 or 5 vertical snips on one end of each piece. In other words, one end should be intact and the other end should fray out like the end of an old rope. Help it fray even more by bending the strips.

Stick the green sour straw pieces on the sticky tops of the gumdrops. Press each piece firmly into the gumdrop to make sure it sticks well.

Check out my recipe for the Nest of Bluebirds from Cupcake Cakes. It is being featured on the website Canadian Family. Thanks, Canada!]]>https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/nest-of-bluebirds/feed/0lisatandersonNestofBluebirdsPicCupcake Cakes Is Out!https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/hey-everyone-my-latest-book-cupcake-ca/
https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/hey-everyone-my-latest-book-cupcake-ca/#respondTue, 05 Apr 2011 22:01:21 +0000http://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/hey-everyone-my-latest-book-cupcake-ca/]]>Hey everyone! My latest book, Cupcake Cakes, is out and available anywhere books are sold! It shows how to make cute shaped cakes using cupcakes. Some projects in the book are a purple hippo, spotted puppy, nest of bluebirds, and tons of other cute stuff. Also, check out my new and improved blog with a new address: lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com. http://ow.ly/i/9Zsl]]>https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/hey-everyone-my-latest-book-cupcake-ca/feed/0lisatandersonDemo and Book Signing at What a Woman Wants Showhttps://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/demo-and-book-signing-at-what-a-woman-wants-show/
https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/demo-and-book-signing-at-what-a-woman-wants-show/#respondTue, 05 Apr 2011 21:49:43 +0000http://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/?p=260]]>Come and meet me in person and watch me make an adorable cupcake cake at the What a Woman Wants Show. I’ll be showing you how quick and easy it is to make shapes using cupcakes. Join me at the Gibbs Smith booth afterward, where I’ll be signing books.

]]>https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/demo-and-book-signing-at-what-a-woman-wants-show/feed/0lisatandersonRoyal Icinghttps://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/royal-icing/
https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/royal-icing/#respondThu, 31 Mar 2011 17:05:27 +0000http://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/?p=226]]>These are the recipes I use for royal icing, from my book No-Bake Gingerbread Houses for Kids. Both of these recipes make equally strong icing that will hold your gingerbread house together like glue. But I prefer using meringue powder because it’s much easier to use and safer to eat than raw egg whites. You can find meringue powder at craft or cake decorating stores.

Beat the meringue powder and water together until the meringue has formed stiff peaks. Beat in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until mixed together and smooth.

]]>https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/royal-icing/feed/0lisatandersonArticle and Video about the Bookhttps://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/article-and-video-about-the-book/
https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/article-and-video-about-the-book/#respondWed, 15 Dec 2010 22:25:26 +0000http://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/?p=198]]>Check out this great article in the Ogden Standard-Examiner. Right after the article is a video of me helping kids make gingerbread houses at the King’s English bookstore. ]]>https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2010/12/15/article-and-video-about-the-book/feed/0lisatandersonDecoration Inspiration: Graham Cracker Houseshttps://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/decoration-inspiration-graham-cracker-houses/
https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/decoration-inspiration-graham-cracker-houses/#respondThu, 09 Dec 2010 17:26:33 +0000http://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/?p=183]]>Click to view slideshow.There are a lot of cute decorating ideas out there for no-bake gingerbread houses, and I thought I’d share what I’ve found recently. Take a look at all these cute ideas!]]>https://lisaturneranderson.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/decoration-inspiration-graham-cracker-houses/feed/0lisatanderson